


Zodiac Black

by MorbidBirdy



Category: Gundam Wing
Genre: Alternate Universe - Space, Cryonics, Drama, F/M, M/M, Rivals, Slash, Space Shenanigans, Suspension, action adventure, pet fox, sexy times on a ship, space, space travel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-30
Updated: 2017-08-30
Packaged: 2018-12-21 16:12:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,561
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11947887
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MorbidBirdy/pseuds/MorbidBirdy
Summary: Set several years in the future, Heero and his seasoned crew are on a mission to transport passengers from Earth to a colony planet. Under the guidance of new management, the crew has to cope with the inconvenient changes that disrupt their lives on the ship. Heero, captain of the Zodiac Black, faces off with a longtime rival who threatens his control. Will the crew successfully complete their mission despite the chaos that ensues? Or will something go terribly wrong, forcing them to abandon their journey?





	1. Chapter 1

**Cycle 1**

The process of reanimation from long-term space travel suspension had become routine, almost mundane. After a career of phasing through the wake and sleep cycle Heero wasn’t surprised to hear the familiar sound of the tube releasing pressurized gasses around him as the suspension gas was gradually being replaced by a normal oxygen blend, forcing his brain into consciousness. He opened his eyes and licked his dry lips slowly. The projection display of numbers that were shining against the inside of the chamber alerted him to the UTC time and date. It was exactly one month since he had laid down for another cycle.

The lid slid open and the chilled, stale air of the surrounding transport ship greeted him. The overhead lights slowly illuminated bright white to allow his eyes to adjust to their piercing glow. He carefully sat up and tugged the probes free from the front of his white, clingy suspension suit. He sighed and rubbed his eyes, rolled his stiff shoulders and then carefully began to crawl out of his chamber.

This was his 7th transport mission from Earth to the newly established colony planet Proxima b in the Proxima Centauri system, 4.25 light-years from Earth. Unlike the steadily sleeping passengers who would soon spend their days toiling on the rocky planet’s surface, Heero and his crew would routinely activated periodically to maintain the ship and check on their human cargo. By Earth standards, Heero was on his 35th year of working as captain of the Zodiac Black, a seasoned cargo vessel formerly managed by a nonprofit scientific research organization the Earth United Exploration Corps. This would be his first 5 year mission under the guidance of the new management company, Argosy Inc. 

The rest of his crew, original members from the ship’s maiden voyage under EUEC, all had stagnated aging thanks to the suspension system. Despite their 35 year tenure the crew’s cells had only aged 7 years. Heero’s blurry, adjusting eyes drifted slowly along the line of chambers that lined the room to observe the suspension chambers of his crew. Each one was a sleek, oblong cylinder lined with pale blue silky fabric with a clear front that served as an observation shell. Every member of the crew wore the same clingy, stretchy white suit over their bodies, their torsos speckled with various wire connectors and tubes that maintained and monitored all of their vitals and physiological functions.

Typically the crew consisted of his 5 core head officers, along with a unit of secondary workers who were periodically unsuspended to perform various functions. However, this mission would be different from those he had captained previous. Three extra chambers had been crammed into the space. Heero ran his hand through his oily hair, licked his dry lips and sighed as his eyes settled upon the centermost of the three new additions. Miles Neumann was the new head of transit management representing Argosy, and a former classmate and rival of Heero’s from his earliest levels of astrophysical pilot training. Apparently the space travel industry was a small world.

With the handover of management to Argosy Inc. came changes in just about every aspect of the job. Things had been done to Heero’s ship to make it more “efficient”. Many of the technologies and modifications had been kept secret from him and the rest of the crew. The reason cited was that it was “new proprietary technology that was awaiting patent” and that it was “thoroughly tested” and they “had nothing to worry about.” The secrecy had made everyone on his team uncomfortable. Not only had the equipment been changed, but everything that had to do with management had become suddenly overcomplicated. The reporting systems alone took twice as long to use and navigate. 

Heero was reluctantly accepting of the initial changes. Who knew if they were better or not? He didn’t want to shoot them down before giving the new plans a chance. However, he felt that the new oversight in the form of Neumann and his two assistants was overkill and completely unnecessary. The last thing the ship needed was more hands stirring the pot. Especially when those hands had no experience in trans-galactic space travel.

New protocols dictated that he should first activate the Argosy manager and then the rest of the crew in turn by rank and importance rather than his usual pattern of activation. Despite their insistence that the Argosy staff were ‘necessary’ for the mission, Heero felt that his unofficial second in command and Flight Engineer held a higher rank of importance. 

He bypassed Mr. Neumann’s chamber and took the usual steps fifteen feet diagonal across the room to a clouded, gas-filled tube with a placard along the base that read “F.E. Barton”. He punched in the activation code and waited patiently while the gasses shifted, swirled and cleared away from his fiancé’s face, bringing his handsome features into full clarity. 

Eyelids began to flutter ever so slightly as the chamber filled with oxygen. The Flight Engineer’s lips parted with an inhale, filling his lungs while he slowly returned to a state of consciousness. On the exhale he opened his bright green eyes and gazed up at the glass lid, watching numbers dance across the display as they reported his vital signs. When the numbers started to fade he could see the familiar face gazing down at him. He instinctively reached up and placed his palm against the cold glass, waiting for the lid to open.

The moment the lid slid back Heero climbed into the narrow chamber, straddled his lover’s hips and kissed him. His hands softly caressed the Flight Engineer’s chilled cheeks, tracing his jaw, following the path along the side of his neck. Despite the sleep phase feeling instantaneous, after four months in suspension his body yearned for physical closeness. He broke the kiss slowly but kept his lips close, brushing the other’s as he spoke. “Trowa… it’s about time you woke up.”

“About time I woke up?” Trowa’s voice felt raw from misuse. The circulation returned to his limbs and he carefully wrapped his arms around Heero, pulling him in closer. “You know I’m tired of sleeping…” He surveyed the room over Heero’s shoulder and noticed the other chambers were still closed. A smirk crept onto his lips. “You woke me first.”

“Of course,” Heero replied plainly. He buried his face into Trowa’s neck and sighed, breathing in the mixture of his companion’s unique, pleasant scent and the somewhat sterile, metallic smell of the various electrodes and sensors attached to his body. 

“The Zodiac Black is  _ my _ ship.” Heero wasn’t willing to give up total control yet. With a sigh he reveled in the returning warmth of the soft skin of Trowa’s neck against his lips. “Wait until you see the enormous tome of changes they left for us to study,” he added, his voice clearly irritated.

“… I can’t wait.” Trowa’s eyes shifted to focus on the three new chambers across from his own. He frowned. Their small crew, who were practically family now, was fully capable of running things on their own. Trowa wasn’t ready for all the corporate rules and regulations that came when an organization was bought out. He sighed, sharing his partner’s irritation. “I don’t like change.”

“Duo could conveniently forget to attach their defrost mechanisms,” Heero offered with a smirk. He pulled back so he could take in Trowa’s face, a somewhat devious expression illuminating his own. Duo Maxwell was typically his scapegoat of choice. 

“That _ would _ be convenient.” Trowa seriously entertained the idea until a sudden movement caught his attention. A tightly curled ball of cream-colored fur lay resting against his side. Two long fuzzy ears twitched before the small, triangular head of Trowa’s pet fennec fox, Comet, perked up.

Heero knew not to touch Trowa’s pet before it was fully roused. Despite the fact that it was somewhat domesticated and behaved itself in Trowa’s company, it was still a wild animal. Normally animals weren’t allowed on starships, especially to freeroam as pets, however Trowa was fascinated with animals, and having something to nurture on the ship was important to him so Heero had made a special exception in this case, provided that the fox stay out of trouble. It had already traversed the galaxy a number of times and had become quite the interstellar traveler in its own right.

“Did you dream?” While in suspension Trowa would sometimes experience vivid dreams, mini movies that played from a reel supplied by his unconscious mind. Other times the dreams were nonexistent and there was nothing but darkness.

“Yes,” admitted Heero with a smirk. “You left me at the alter for some Starbucks barista...” He ran his fingers through Trowa’s hair, tucking his bangs back so he could see both of his eyes. “You know the one.” Right before their departure one of the local baristas had found out Trowa was an astronaut. While it was entertaining at first to see someone fanboying over his  fiancé it was no longer cute once Heero spotted the guy’s name and phone number scrawled across Trowa’s paper cup.

Trowa shook his head. “He was too young. I don’t like robbing the cradle.” The barista appeared to be in his early twenties, and while Trowa looked and felt like he was in his  _ late _ twenties his government ID proved otherwise. His true age? 50. Both he and Heero qualified for the senior discount at select establishments.

“Hm. I’m not really worried. If it comes down to me versus that hipster, I think my skillset wins out. Besides,” Heero ran a finger across Trowa’s jaw, stopping at his tapered chin. “If it’s coffee concocting you’re attracted to, I’ll be happy to learn how to make you a latte.” His finger slipped upwards to trace the soft, pink line of his fiancé’s lower lip. “What did  _ you  _ dream about?”

“Some short, dark and handsome figure. Don’t worry, he doesn’t work at a coffee shop.” Green eyes settled on the dark blue irises in front of them. “I have a feeling my dreams were a lot more…  _ pleasurable _ than yours.” Trowa smiled mischievously.

“You’ll have to fill me in tonight after ‘work’,” Heero replied with a smile. They were on call 24/7, but during simulated daytime hours they were on active duty like any job. After hours they were free to do as they pleased. At least that was the way things had used to be. Heero hadn’t read all of the new protocols yet, but Chang Wufei, their ship’s physician, had been complaining about a few notations he had spotted in the new orders before they had departed to the ship, many of which supposedly impeded on the crew’s personal time and private activities.

“You should wake the others up…” Trowa ran his hands down the back of Heero’s suspension suit, fingers gliding over defined muscle until they reached the curve of his ass. He let out a soft sigh and leaned his head back against the lining of his chamber. The ‘night’ couldn’t come soon enough.    


 

Miles Neumann was tall and an imposing figure compared to the typical members of Heero’s crew. As he walked alongside the mountainous man he found himself looking up at him, which wasn’t something he wanted to get used to. The only other person he looked up to was Trowa, but in that situation he never felt as belittled as he was feeling now.

“And THIS is your storage hold?” Miles asked. He peered in through one of the open hatches at what was obviously an engine room. Heero tried to calm his twitching eyebrow.

“No. This is Engine Room D,” Heero replied flatly. “As it states on the sign beside the door.” Why was this guy trying to play dumb? “Our ship is outfitted with four separate anti-matter drives. It allows us to intermittently take one out of operation for routine safety checks.”

“Is that a tool just lying on the floor?” Miles was scowling at a wrench that was clearly being used by a technician who was crouching ten feet away in an open panel nearby. “Safety hazard.” The tall, sandy-haired man glanced to his right at his companion, a lithe pale female with a digital clipboard. She began jotting notes with her finger.

Heero’s fists automatically clenched at his sides. It had only been five hours since their initial awakening and he was already done with having these strangers on his ship. They had insisted on a tour of the facilities, which was a pointless task. They had been given a briefing on the ship before departure. Heero knew this was just Miles’s way of playing mind games and wasting his time. He knew that Heero couldn’t deny him information about the ship.

“And what is it that  _ you _ do, exactly?” Miles suddenly shifted his attention from the lone wrench on the floor to Trowa, who had been quietly shadowing them the entire tour. Heero’s shoulders tensed. The question was ridiculous.

“He is our Flight Engineering officer,” Heero said coldly before Trowa could reply. “His duties are outlined for you in our mission manual, page 891, section III, subparagraph A.” Heero knew his mission outline like the back of his hand.

“Yes-yes, I know that part of it. What I want to know is exactly what he DOES. What his daily work is like,” replied Miles conversationally. He stepped away from his assistant and Heero to close the gap between himself and Trowa. “What do you do when your ship doesn’t need fixing?”

Was this guy here to audit and check up on the ship or interrogate the crew? Trowa stared at Miles with a blank expression. “I assist other crewmembers and act as the captain’s assistant. When the ship isn’t broken I work on improvements and upgrades.  That new solar energy storage system you were checking out earlier? That’s one of my upgrades. ” He watched as the woman’s finger moved across the tablet, obviously recording his response.

“Ah, interesting.” Miles nodded at the woman, who gave him a knowing look, before he turned back to Trowa. “That was a very impressive system you established. You are very talented. Do you feel that you are valued on this ship? That you are properly rewarded for your contributions?” He glanced over his shoulder at Heero, who was attempting not to appear as broody as he clearly felt. His expression was exceptionally dark, his Prussian blue eyes intense as they settled on Miles. Heero’s aggressive posture didn’t faze him in the slightest. “Do you feel like your captain appreciates your unique contributions?”

“Yes. Very much so.” Trowa responded without hesitation. Properly rewarded? If only Miles knew. He bit the inside of his cheek, forcing back the sarcastic smile that threatened to spread across his face. “The entire crew has been working alongside our captain since the creation of this ship. We wouldn’t stick around if we weren’t  _ appreciated _ .”

“It is very evident that his crew is loyal to him,” Miles replied, his expression cool. “Sometimes that loyalty can be so strong that crews often overlook mistakes their captains make. Their personal feelings get in the way.” He was speaking more to the air around him than to anyone in particular. “It’s why we’re here, to assess the state of this ship.” He pointed at Heero, his gesture commanding. “Take us to the cargo hold.”

“Holds…” Heero corrected him with a frown. “We have 32. Which one would you like to see?”

Miles smiled broadly. “All of them, of course.”

 

Heero generally wasn’t one to hide his feelings. Normally around his crew he could be himself and openly express his discontent and irritation, though infrequent that may have been. However, with the presence of the new management he had spent the last ten hours of his first shift out of suspension twisted into a wild and tight knot of stress, straining violently against the snapping threads of his dwindling self-control. So when he finally was free of his tormenter and in the privacy of his own ship cabin he wasted no time punching the nearest metal wall, leaving a sizeable dent in his wake. The resulting bang that echoed from the low, bare metal ceiling of his cabin filled the room, startling Comet, who had been watching him pace from the foot of his bed. The little fox hissed irritably at the sudden noise and darted away to take cover in the narrow space under the bed.

“He still knows how to push every one of my buttons,” Heero snarled quietly as he continued to pace the rectangular room. Each step only fueled his irritation. He finally dropped down onto the edge of his bunk, a bed implanted partway into the wall, and stared down at his bruised knuckles with a sour expression. “This is going to be a long five years.” Thankfully he would only be conscious for twelve months of it.

Trowa was lounging on the narrow bed with a book in his hand. He set it down and looked over at his frustrated fiancé. “So this is the ‘Miles’ you knew from school?” He was putting two and two together. Heero had mentioned a ‘Miles’ before, something about a rival from flight school. 

“The same,” Heero replied, his eyes staring holes into the floor. “I saw his name on our transport log, but I had hoped that it wasn’t the same person. When I saw him in the tube before we departed I knew that it was him. How the hell did he end up here of all places?” He ran his hand through his hair, forcing his soft, messy locks away from his tired eyes. As he released them they simply fell back into their customary place. “There is more to this than he’s letting on. Today? The tour? It was an act. There was no reason he needed to waste our time having us guide him through the ship. He’s a fucking pilot. He knows how galactic travel and transport works.”

“He’s fake. He’s not fooling anyone. Do you think Argosy wants to replace the crew?” The question had been brought up more than once that day among the other crewmembers. Everyone was walking on eggshells,  suspicion thick in the air. Trowa stayed calm, his voice light, hoping it would help ease his lover.

“It’s possible. They’ve already turned everything else upside down. We’re the only thing left for them to modify,” Heero grumbled, opening and closing his hand slowly. He watched the bruised and scraped skin slide across the sharp prominences of his knuckles. “I can’t help but feel like this is personal. That he’s out to get me for some reason. It wouldn’t be the first time…”

“He won’t find any ground to fire you on. Or any of us, for that matter.” Trowa slid off the bed and went to the cabinet by the closet. He pulled out the first aid kit and grabbed the gauze and peroxide. “Although you probably shouldn’t let him in your room now that you’ve put a dent in the wall...” He approached the other and knelt down in front of him, reaching for his injured hand.

“If he ever comes in here I’ll put a dent in his nose,” Heero grumbled. He watched quietly for a few minutes while Trowa tended to him, cleaning and wrapping his knuckles with the bandage. Eventually Comet slinked out from under the bed. He sniffed Heero’s wrapped knuckled curiously before hopping back on the bed to resume his customary place at the foot of it. 

Once Trowa was done Heero slipped his injured hand from his  fiancé’s fingertips and grasped his chin softly. “Thank you.” He tilted Trowa’s face up so he could look him fully in the eye. “I appreciate you.”

Trowa snorted, insulted that anyone would think Heero didn’t appreciate his crew. He shook his head and stood up. “I know you do.” He made his way back over to the cabinet to put the kit away then opened the closet and dug through his bag in search of something.

Heero watched him rummaging and slowly stood up, approaching him from behind. As Trowa pulled the engagement ring from his bag he carefully plucked it from his fingers and stood in front of him, gently grabbed his left hand and slid the shiny, simple platinum band up his fiancé’s finger. “He’s grasping for something. Anything. It was just like this in flight school,” he confided with a frown, studying Trowa’s hand under the dim artificial lights. “He didn’t rise to greatness by being the best, he made his way to the top by shoving other people off of the ladder.”

“People like that never last. That kind of behavior isn’t sustainable. Eventually the bridges he burned will lead to his demise.” Trowa’s gaze followed Heero’s and he looked down at his hand. “… If anything happened, you know the team would follow you. Besides, we are getting too old for this job. Maybe it’s time to retire or find something else?”

“You’re all too good at your jobs to be rushed out because some asshole has a personal vendetta against me,” Heero replied firmly. “And we are getting old, but what else is there? Would you  _ honestly _ be content on some beach in Florida somewhere, retired? Could you be happy without the challenge of maintaining this ship, couriering people across the galaxy to potential unknowns?” His fingertips traced the ring before they began caressing the top of his hand, dipping between his fingers. “Just because the name printed on the outside of this ship has changed doesn’t mean everything else has to as well.”

Heero was right. Trowa would take no satisfaction from retirement. Eventually he would get bored and go stir crazy. This ship was his home. He’d spent most of his life on it, in space. It was where he’d grown up and where he belonged. And it wasn’t like they had family or friends waiting for them back on Earth or on Proxima, his birthplace. Everyone was dead, having aged normally. All either of them had was this ship, its crew and each other.

Trowa squeezed Heero’s hand and studied the ring, his thoughts shifting. “Soon I’ll be referring to you as my  _ husband _ .” The word felt foreign on his tongue and would take time to get used to, but he liked it. Nothing was going to change once they tied the knot, not really, but they’d been together for decades and Trowa was eager to take their relationship to the next level; to make it something more official. He was ready for this.

“Husband. Captain. Lover. No matter what label, I’ve always been yours,” replied Heero with a smirk. “However, it’s about time that I claimed you as my Mister.” With the nature of their occupation it was easy to lose track of time. They could have remotely married by signing the paperwork from space but Heero wanted to make more of an experience of it. He wanted Trowa to know just how important he was to him. On their next layover between transit missions he wanted to finalize his feelings for him on Earth. It had been a long time coming. “Before any more coffee pouring college students get any ideas.”

“He wasn’t even my type. He was too tall and he kept smiling at me. I prefer grumpy old men who are  _ at least _ 5 inches shorter than me.” Trowa teased and pulled away from the other. He went to the closet to grab a hoodie, wrapping it around his chilled body before settling back down on the Captain’s bed.    


“I’m not  _ grumpy _ ,” Heero replied as he toed off his boots and tucked them into Comet’s hiding spot beneath the bed. He grabbed his tablet from the desk on the opposite wall and began scrolling through the data being sent from the other members of his team. “I just have a low tolerance for other people’s bullshit.” 

The information presented to him on the small screen was all standard; updates on the status of their precious cargo, as well as live streaming data of the ship’s reactor status, climate control systems, etc. He had to digitally sign off on a few things. He opened a document, scrolled through it and pressed his thumb against the sensor on the bottom right corner to sign and approve of the request. It was all procedural, things he did every night before lying down for the evening. He considered going to the recreation room to play a little chess or handball with Wufei, but to do so would risk running into their new management. He didn’t think his nerves could handle that.

He tossed the tablet on the desk and waved his hand across a small black, shiny sensor strip on the wall above it. The room dimmed, except for the light just over the head of the bed, which glowed with a soft yellow light. He changed out of his flight suit and into a pair of black jogger pants and a white v-neck t-shirt that bore the large worm-like vintage blue NASA logo and slumped down onto his bed beside Trowa. 

His companion was indeed taller than him, taking up nearly the entire length of the mattress. He inspected his bandaged hand for a moment, flexed his fingers and decided that they were cold and would be better placed against a guaranteed warm spot. Wasting no time, Heero rolled over and shoved his hands up into the bottom of his old college sweatshirt his beautiful fiancé had claimed, pressing his chilled fingers against Trowa’s warm stomach. “What are you reading?”

The icy intrusion caused Trowa’s muscles to clench up in shock. He quickly scoot across the mattress in an attempt to get away, but didn’t make it very far. There wasn’t anywhere to go and he was now laying on the edge, close to falling over. They really needed a bigger bed.

Hooking his foot around the bar at the end of the bed, Trowa braced himself and then held the paperback book up. “The Iliad.” Even though paper books were a thing of the past he still preferred the way they felt in his hands, the smell of ink wafting into the air with each turn of the page. Since they were nomadic and storage space was limited Trowa’s physical collection was small.  _ The Iliad _ was a classic and something he found himself re-reading every few years.

“Hm…” Unperturbed by the fact that Trowa was trying to get away from him, Heero simply followed his retreating body across the bed. When Trowa made it to the edge he hugged his waist and tugged him back so that he was back at the center. The chill was finally coming out of his fingers. He tucked his injured hand casually into Trowa’s waistband, rested his forehead against his shoulder and closed his eyes against the glow of the overhead light.  _ “...  _ _ Any moment might be our last. Everything is more beautiful because we're doomed. You will never be lovelier than you are now. We will never be here again,”  _ he quoted Homer’s Iliad softly. Having a near-photographic memory was useful for something.

Trowa folded the corner of his page and set the book aside so he could wrap his arms around his fiancé. “Why does that quote feel so foreboding?” He gazed up at the ceiling, watching the shadows dance across the smooth surface.

“Mmmn.” Exhausted, Heero dipped his hand further into Trowa’s waistband and pressed his palm and fingers into the smooth curve of his lower abdomen, a comforting gesture he found himself automatically doing every night before they slept together. There was something undeniably soothing about having someone else so close, about touching the core of his  fiancé’s body heat. It made him forget about everything else: the aloofness of their new management, the struggles he had endured that day to maintain control of his ship, and the vast stretch of cold and unforgiving vacuum that was the space between their ship and home. 

It was the first night together of the first cycle of their mission. Normally these nights ended with their bodies conjoined in lust, but this night was different. Without confidence in the future of their mission, he could bring himself to do nothing else but cling desperately to the only person he could truly trust as he drifted off into a fitful sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

Wufei Chang ran a tidy clinic. Everything had it’s place, everything was accounted for. His documentation was impeccable, his notations thorough and verbose. Any passenger in suspension under his watch was in very skilled, capable hands.

So when Wufei went belowdecks to the passenger cargo hold to do his daily vital and welfare checks of his 123 suspended patients, he was surprised to see so many of them afflicted with strange, dry patches of skin all over their bodies. Dryness wasn’t unusual during suspension, and sometimes the gasses and products used to put a patient into extended torpor were abrasive to particularly sensitive individuals, but to see nearly 4% of the clients with some form of cold rash was unusual.

He hurriedly prepared a specialized steroid and antihistamine ointment that could combat what he could only describe as a situational epidermal reaction and prepared to administer the ointment to those who were afflicted. As he packed his things into a large, silver case he spotted movement at the door. He had requested that Heero deactivate the security block on the chambers of the patients affected. Assuming that it was his captain at the door he simply spoke without looking up, “I’m not so sure that this ointment will fix the problem if it is Argosy’s new internal atmosphere mixture…”

“I beg your pardon?” The voice that answered did not belong to their captain. Neumann walked down the corridor towards the physician, his redheaded assistant at his heels with her digital clipboard in hand. “Did you say there is a problem with the internal atmosphere mixture?” He asked, looking up at one of the suspended patients.

Wufei blinked, his eyes wide behind his round glasses, and tried not to appear as tense as he clearly felt at the sound of the Argosy manager’s voice. He cleared his throat and straightened his spine in an attempt to regain his composure.

“I feel that the changes made to the internal atmosphere of suspension are a likely suspect for the cause of the cold rashes on my patients, yes.” He clutched his treatment case tightly in hand and narrowed his eyes, darting them to the door, searching for one of his other crewmembers. Being alone with Neumann was unsettling. “I have already submitted this as a complaint to your office, actually, but your other assistant told me that there could be no modification mid-flight.”

“Cold rash? The changes made were so minor that I doubt they’d have an affect like this.” Neumann turned back to face the physician, eying him with a judgmental look that he didn’t bother masking. He was starting to wonder if all the crew on this ship were incompetent. “It would be inconvenient to make a change mid-flight. How are you planning to remedy this?”

“Small changes don’t seem like much initially, but over months it can compound and become a serious problem. This is general logic,” Wufei said with a frown. “I am unauthorized to make any changes. All I can do is treat the problem the best I can. I’ve already appealed to your other aid to have modifications made, or at least the mixture to be returned to the former baseline combination. It wouldn’t be difficult to change it back to the old ratios…”

Although the new internal atmosphere mixture was cheaper to produce, Neumann didn’t see a point in arguing with Wufei. The dry rashes were apparent. It was something they could further look into after the mission. “Alright. I give you authorization to change the combination back to the baseline. In the future, would you please bring these concerns directly to me?”

Wufei’s sleek eyebrow raised at the last statement. “Shouldn’t the captain be notified of all issues on the ship?” It was the way things had always been done in the past. They operated transparently with each other, and Heero was always involved in every aspect of the ship operations.

“Normally, yes. But Argosy is still investigating the crew and implementing new policies. For this mission I’d like the officers to report to me. I will fill the _captain_ in.”

 

Heero looked around the conference room table at his four original crewmembers. Everyone had a tense, reserved expression on their faces. It was what he had expected. After his own encounter with the Argosy staff he could only imagine how they had treated the others. He wanted to know their real impressions and wanted them to speak without restraint. Knowing that wasn’t possible in the presence of their new auditors he had called a meeting specifically for the “maintainer and system operations” officers, as well as summoned Wufei, their ship’s physician, directly for the task of performing “routine mental stress tests” on them. There was no such thing as a routine mental stress test, which gave the others a hint that this meeting was more than it had seemed. By calling them this way he had indirectly excluded everyone from Argosy.  
  
“Alright, talk.” Heero took his seat at the head of the dark oblong, oval table and crossed his arms over his chest, waiting.

Duo Maxwell, their head Systems Maintenance Officer, immediately broke the silence.

“Those people are absolute bullshit!” The American officer slammed his palms against the table and spoke through gritted teeth. “They wanna change everythin’ just for the sake of change. There’s no rhyme or reason for any of it. Did you _see_ the flimsy plastic tubin’ they replaced the mesh-enhanced cooling lines with?! Those things are gonna dry rot in less than a year. They’re not spacegrade quality! Heero- urm… Captain, you gotta say somethin’ to them about it! We’re gonna spend more time tryin’ to keep things from fallin’ apart than doin’ our actual jobs!”

Quatre, the Communications and Data manager, raised his concern next, his voice level as he spoke slowly. “They told me they want to put a new system into place that will feature ‘advanced security’ upgrades. I looked into what these ‘advanced’ upgrades were and my understanding is that they’re basically a tool to help Argosy screen data transfer, which means they would have access to the crew’s personal information and e-mails. It sounds like a ploy to monitor us by invading our privacy…”

Heero frowned but said nothing. He shifted his eyes to Wufei, whose expression matched his own.

“Similar. They want to screen all of the crew’s personal medical records, including past behavioral health issues. It’s like they’re looking for problems, causes for termination,” Wufei explained with a sigh. “It’s a direct violation of patient confidentiality. He waved some paperwork in my face and claimed that it was all authorized but he refused to let me read it.”

Heero looked from one officer to the other, feeling his temper rising. It was worse than he had originally thought.

Trowa was gazing down at the table, eyes affixed to a peculiar knot in the wood grain. It swirled in on itself, the pattern abstractly reflecting that of a tiny, organic galaxy. He took in everything his colleagues were saying, sensing the unanimous frustration in the room. His arms were crossed tightly against his chest and he said nothing. Heero already knew of his frustrations with Argosy. They were doubling down on regulations surrounding the mechanics of the ship. Most made no logical sense in Trowa’s mind. Neumann was just getting in the way.  

“So what the hell are we supposed to do? Everything is going to shit, we can’t just sit around and watch it all degenerate!” Duo was fuming, his eyes smouldering with angry energy. “What are _you_ gonna do about it?” His eyes settled on Heero, who was holding his balled fists against his lap beneath the table.

“I’ll handle this. Don’t step on any toes,” replied Heero as he abruptly stood from his seat. “Try to maintain the highest level of professionalism. Don’t give them anything they can use against you. I’ll take care of this. Thank you for your information and opinions.” With a nod he dismissed them but before anyone could get up he exited the conference room and made his way at a steady march down the hallway in the direction of their newly appointed Argosy Manager’s office.

Duo frowned across the table at Trowa, with an eyebrow quirked in surprise. “You don’t think he’ll kill ‘em, do ya?” A wicked grin spread evenly across his face. “Because if he does, I wanna watch.”

“He won’t. But I wish he would.” Trowa didn’t bother looking up until Quatre put a hand on his shoulder. Apprehension was apparent on the blonde’s gentle features and Trowa felt what he could only describe as an invisible current that pulsed from Quatre’s fingertips into his shoulder. He gave the empath a reassuring look, unfolding his arms from his chest so that his posture was more relaxed. “Heero will get it all straightened out.”

 

Each word Miles Neumann spoke grated on Heero’s nerves. He stood in the doorway of his office while the man explained to one of his assistants just how “important” it was for him to “continue to survey this chaotic hunk of ship”. Heero knew that his words had been chosen to irritate him. It was obvious by the way he glanced at him as he spoke. Finally the assistant was dismissed and Heero quickly took his place at the opposite side of the desk.

“We need to talk,” Heero began firmly, his tone cool and affect flat. “About everything. Your new protocols, the rules, the equipment. None of this is working for me. We need to make some changes.”

“Argosy’s new rules.” Neumann corrected as he set his tablet down on the desk. “There’s no negotiating the rules and regulations. They are consistent with all properties obtained by the company.”

“The _company_ owns the ship. They don’t control it,” replied Heero calmly. “And I was explicitly told in my new contract that all changes to _my_ ship and _my crew_ were to be passed by me and signed off first.” He straightened his shoulders and glared down at the other man. “None of which is being done. You are not autonomous. You are not in control here. You are under MY jurisdiction, on MY territory. You are to answer to ME.”

“This ship is not _yours_ . You just said it yourself. Argosy owns the ship, not you.” Amusement dripped from the words as Neumann continued. “Therefore you will do as the company says. I am here on behalf of Argosy to carry out their wishes. Technically that means you are under _my_ jurisdiction. The rules and regulations are not up for negotiation, Monday.”

Heero’s eyebrow immediately twitched at the mention of his old flight cadet nickname. The rest of the students took to calling him the callsign ‘Monday’ because Mondays were a drag, and nobody liked them. It was something he had left behind years ago, and having it thrown back in his face left a bitterness in his mouth.

“Clearly you do not recall how command on ships work,” Heero said coldly, his voice even. “According to the Trans-Galactic Space Commission all lead officers of any spaceborne vessel have ultimate authority over all activities on their ships. Article IV, paragraph 11 states; ‘during any and all missions and operations away from the headquarters and mission control all judgement and dictation will be in the hands of the ship’s captain, who will operate as the governor of the vessel until such a time that the vessel is returned to dock.’ It is my job to control this ship, not yours. You may make suggestions to me based on the company’s wants and wishes, but ultimately those wants and wishes are supposed to be submitted TO ME in writing for review before the onset of this journey, not during operations. It is YOU who are in violation.”

“When the ship's ‘captain’ is incompetent, decisions must be made by management.” Neumann grabbed his tablet and pulled up an official document, holding the screen out so Heero could view it. “This letter right here states that I am to do as I see fit while we investigate our new property. Your authority is forfeit until we are done auditing this ship. I will continue making decisions on behalf of the company. The ship and its _assets_ are subjected to such decisions.”

Heero’s temper was nearing its breaking point. He refused to look at the letter. None of it was good enough for him. This wasn’t how business in space was conducted. He wasn’t going to waste his time inspecting a false document.  
  
“Explain to me exactly how you have deemed me incompetent? This ship was audited as far as equipment and construction before we embarked. It was explained to me by your superiors that you were simply here to observe how the missions were operated. To LEARN from my crew, not to dictate your changes- all of which are absolutely out of line. Unless you feel you and your men and women are in danger due to some action negligent on my part, how do you judge me as incompetent? All I see here is a lack of organization on your part as management for not having these actions completed before we left spacedock.”

Neumann laughed as Heero’s temper started to flair. He expertly dodged the accusations thrown his way. “You’re working for Argosy now, Monday. We do things a little differently. It’s only natural that you’d rack up a lengthy list of audits on your first voyage under new management. We’ll correct the wrongs and everything will be just fine. You’ll see.” He set the tablet back down and put his elbows on the desk, leaning forward as he spoke. “You have some assets onboard that aren’t being used to their fullest potential. We might have to move some pieces around, bring in new crewmembers and such. Change is always uncomfortable at first. But eventually we adapt and move on.”

Heero gritted his teeth and tried to keep himself in line. “You will address me as Captain, and there will be no changes without my express authorization. I don’t know what kind of shady backdoor dealings are happening in the shadows here, but on _my_ ship everything is done according to protocol.”

“For someone who is SO into protocol I can’t understand why you are having an unprofessional relationship with one of the officers. Seems like a classic case of favoritism to me. It would be a shame if I had to report it and reassign _your_ Flight Engineer. From what I’ve gathered so far, Mr. Barton is one of the most talented crewmembers on board. We have use for him at our other properties.” Neumann stared straight ahead as he spoke, refusing to back down. His tone was threatening. “It’s not _your_ ship or _your_ crew any longer. You will follow _my_ decisions.”

Heero’s face shifted expression instantaneously from cold and collected to a genuine smile. His unrestrained laughter echoed from the high, bare walls of the manager’s office.

“You can’t argue rules with me, so you’ve resorted to threats? I have been nothing but transparent about my romantic relationship with Trowa Barton from the beginning. He was hired to this ship with the organization’s full knowledge of my personal feelings for him. If Argosy is petty enough to go to those lengths to weaken my resolve, then they and _you_ are more pathetic than I thought.” Heero pressed his palms against Neumann’s desk and leaned down so that their faces were closer, his expression darkening. “If you do _anything_ to jeopardize his career, I’ll make it my personal mission to make the rest of your life a living hell.”

“Who said anything about jeopardizing Barton’s career? I think shaking things up and moving him on to new opportunities would actually be of benefit. We at Argosy like to nurture our staff’s growth, not _stifle_ it. He’s sitting stagnant right now.”

“You will not make decisions for him. It is his life, his career, and his choice as to what he wishes to do with his future, not yours.” Heero straightened himself and took a step back away from Neumann’s desk. “You will forward all potential changes to my communications account before any enactment. All modifications of this ship go through me. No more dictating these changes to my crew.”

“Such greed. You’re holding him back on purpose.” Neumann shook his head, but a smirk lingered on his thin lips. “It’s not shocking that you’d hide others in your shadow so _you_ could progress further. This is why we need to restructure the crew.”

“I don’t hold anyone back, but of course you’re mind would automatically make that assumption, considering that throwing others under the bus and walking all over your colleagues is something you’re well rehearsed in,” Heero retorted icily. “You are not changing my crew. They were the ones on assignment according to Argosy’s main deployment charter. You are not authorized to change them for anyone unless they are unfit to work.”

“We’ll see about that.” Neumann leaned back in his chair. “Are you done? I have a lot of work to do.”

Heero resisted the urge to grab the stupid, jellyfish shaped paperweight off of the man’s desk and smash it into the side of his head. Instead he bit his tongue, knowing that spitting any more acid at him was pointless, and simply stomped out of his office. As he trekked through the main central corridor of the ship a few secondary crew shifted quickly out of his way. The sight of their captain looking so perturbed and frustrated was a new one.

“Hey! How did it go with Mister Manager?” Duo’s voice rang out from behind him. The American was jogging to catch up. Heero shook his head and didn’t reply. He didn’t trust himself to speak in front of the crew, lest he say something incriminating that would eventually get back to Argosy. The last thing he needed was for them to have more ammunition against him. Instead he paused at the nearest monitor set into the wall and tapped it, scanned his finger and searched for Trowa. He found his location registered in one of the engine rooms. Despite Duo’s torrential stream of questions he simply continued his march down the length of the ship until he found Engine Room 2, sulked inside and found his lover crouched beside an antimatter cooling shaft, peering thoughtfully into an opened and unassembled control panel.

The approaching footsteps alerted Trowa of the visitor. As a shadow was cast over the cooling shaft he didn’t have to look up to know who it belonged to. “Captain.” Reaching inside the control panel Trowa grabbed a blue wire and plucked it from the board. The engine room was hot and stuffy, causing beads of sweat to gather on his forehead. Despite the oil staining his skin, he used the back of his hand to wipe the sweat away and push his damp bangs to the side.

“Barton.” Heero knew he wasn’t supposed to break professionalism while they were working, but after being rubbed the wrong way and so blatantly insulted he needed a moment to gather himself. He couldn’t do it in front of the others. He glanced up at the surveillance camera that oversaw the engine room. It panned and focused on him. There was nobody else in the room. “May I have a moment?”

“Of course.” Trowa set the wire down and stood up, grabbing a filthy rag from his toolbox. He attempted to clean his hands but the stains required soap and water, so he tossed the rag aside and shoved his hands into his pockets before focusing his attention on the Captain.

Heero carefully sidestepped so that he was hidden behind a giant metal panel, away from the prying eyes of the camera against the ceiling before speaking. “I just left Neumann’s office. It didn’t go well. They’ve taken my authority. All of it.”

“That’s not possible. That would go against the Trans-Galactic Space Commission.” Trowa frowned.

“I argued that point. I cited every rule they were breaking. It didn’t matter. He’s convinced that this is his ship, and his show. The thing that concerns me most is that he kept bringing up changing the crew. He mentioned it offhand at least three times.” Heero ran a hand through his hair and sighed, his body tense. “And brought up our relationship, and threatened me indirectly concerning it.”

“How? What does our relationship have to do with anything? That shouldn’t be brought up at all.” The severity of the situation started to sink in making Trowa uncomfortable.

“They consider it unprofessional, possibly a conflict of interest. They think I am playing favorites. He also accused me of holding you back, keeping you from reaching your full potential. He said that your talents would benefit the company elsewhere,” replied Heero, his expression stoic.

Trowa shook his head. “Sounds like he’s trying to put a wedge between us. Pit us against each other...” It wouldn’t work. Heero _wasn’t_ holding him back and he chose to work alongside him on _this_ ship.

“I’m not sure what to do.” Heero had never felt so out of control on the ship before, and he wasn’t one to confide in anyone else. He would never admit that he was at a loss to anyone but Trowa. “I don’t know how to fight this.”

The Captain was looking to Trowa for answers the taller man didn’t have. The situation was new to both of them and they’d known that this was a possibility from the start. “Have you tried contacting Argosy directly? Speaking with someone else to clear up any misunderstandings? Don’t let Neumann push you into anything you don’t feel comfortable doing…”

“I want him off of my ship,” Heero replied darkly. Turning back wasn’t an option, but keeping the man in a deep freeze for the remainder of the journey was. “I hadn’t thought of contacting his superiors. That is a good idea. I will.” He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck, his fingers probing the tight, sore knot just below his nape. “Thanks.”

“Anytime, Captain.” Trowa removed his hands from his pockets, letting them rest at his sides. He swallowed back the anxiety that crawled up his throat. Things would work out. They always did, right? The best thing he could do for Heero was stay calm throughout all the changes and support him when he needed it.

Already feeling better after having confided in Trowa, Heero’s thoughts began to slow and his mind became clearer, less muddled with anxiety and irritation. Sometimes just speaking his feelings aloud was enough to alleviate his tension. He studied Trowa’s sweaty face for a moment. The urge to kiss his grease-smudged lip was strong, however despite Neumann’s accusations he took his arrangement with his Flight Engineer very seriously. On the clock they were officers and Trowa was his trusted subordinate. No matter how much he needed the comfort of the other’s touch, he couldn’t allow himself to overstep. Not while on duty. He turned his eyes to the floor, took a deep breath and immediately transformed from the apprehensive and confused Heero Yuy to the confident trans-galactic ship’s captain before walking back out in front of the camera to exit the engine room.

 

The glistening sea of stars was always so captivating no matter how many times Trowa gazed upon them. On both Earth and Proxima the view depended on which season it was and which hemisphere you were in, which meant you were limited in what you could see. In space the view felt endless. There was no end and no beginning. The stars surrounded you indefinitely.

Trowa leaned his head back against the windowsill, relaxing in the silence of the abandoned conference room. This was his special place. He came here to unwind from a long day of work, knowing he’d be left alone with his thoughts. After devoting 8 straight hours to his latest project, the new solar panel cells, he needed some time to zone out and slow his brain.

The glass was cold on his cheek. It felt good to lean against the window as he sat in a peaceful trance. Trowa didn’t notice the small shadow that crept across the floor, swiftly inching in his direction with something held confidently in its mouth. It wasn’t until the creature jumped up onto his lap that he looked down. “Comet…”

Distinct, batlike ears twitched in recognition. The fennec fox dropped the object it had been carrying and looked up at Trowa with big brown eyes.

“I heard that you’ve been rather _busy_ today.” Trowa murmured as he scratched behind Comet’s collar. Heero informed him earlier that the fox had snuck into the management office when no one was around. He proceeded to knock the small trash bin over and dig through its contents. As if that wasn’t exciting enough, he’d jumped up on Neumann’s desk and pushed a pile of paperwork off the edge, scattering the pages out of order all over the floor. Argosy wasn’t a fan of pets on board the ship and Neumann wasn’t amused by the mess left in his office.

While Trowa thought Comet’s behavior was funny, he knew he had to keep a closer eye on his pet. The fox was usually well behaved for a wild animal, all thanks to the time Trowa had spent training and socializing him. Because of this Comet was free to roam the ship without being monitored 24/7. At night he slept in Heero and Trowa’s room, either curled up in his makeshift burrow or at the foot of their bed.

“I guess I’ll have to program the management office into your chip.” Trowa said, moving his fingers over Comet’s thick, cream-colored fur. He had installed a locator chip in Comet’s collar so they could easily track him. Certain areas of the ship were programmed as off-limits, like Wufei’s medical lab, keeping the curious fox out.

Comet yawned and made himself comfortable on Trowa’s lap, no longer interested in whatever he had been playing with. It was naptime.

As the fox slept Trowa continued running his fingers through its fur, a soothing gesture that always put both him and Comet at ease. _I hope Neumann doesn’t make a big deal out of this… I don’t care what the new policies are, we’re not getting rid of Comet._

The fox meant so much to Trowa. More than just a pet, Comet was a companion, a friend that would age at the same rate as he would. He didn’t keep close relationships with anyone off the ship because of suspension during space travel, which put a temporary stop to aging. It was impossible to keep meaningful relationships with people on Earth or Proxima when you only saw them once every 5-10 years.

Trowa sighed and looked out the window while his thoughts traveled. His fingers lingered on Comet’s exaggeratedly big ears, which were the softest, and arguably _cutest_ part on his body. A smile formed on Trowa’s lips as he thought about the fox and the tight bond they shared.

They were on a business trip in Northern Africa when Trowa found the orphaned fox kit outside their hotel. It desperately needed food and water, so he tended to its needs and kept an eye on it. When it was time to leave Heero had surprised him by offering to bring the fox back to the ship. He said taking care of a pet would benefit Trowa. It would feed his instinct to nurture and provide a sense of purpose. And Heero knew how excited his lover got when he was around animals. It was adorable to watch and he selfishly wanted more of that adorableness.

Proxima b, where Trowa was born, was populated by a colony of humans and lacked any other substantial life forms. At a young age Trowa became fascinated with animals, learning about them from afar through books and videos. He’d always dreamed of having a pet but knew that wasn’t possible on his planet. There weren’t even zoos to study the amazing creatures firsthand.

When Trowa started visiting Earth he was pleasantly overwhelmed by all the animal encounters. If they were ever near a zoo he would make Heero go with him. If they had time for ecotourism, like swimming with manta rays or going on a safari, Trowa would drag his lover along. Any experience that allowed him to interact with animals was something Heero would never deny his partner.

Heero’s offer keep a pet on the ship was something Trowa couldn’t pass up, and so Comet set off with them to become an interstellar traveler. From day one he was a welcomed addition to the crew, providing entertainment and amusement to everyone.

Comet would dash around the corridors, bouncing off the sides of the walls as he ran from one place to another to socialize. One of his favorite places on the ship was their Communication Officer’s lap. Quatre enjoyed the foxes comforting presence, which calmed him while he worked, and Comet enjoyed the frequent pats and affectionate scratches. The arrangement benefited them both.

Sometimes the fox would hitch a ride in Trowa’s coveralls while he worked, or curl up inside his hoodie, curiously poking its head out between the zippers whenever something interesting happened. Wufei teasingly suggested Trowa get one of those ridiculous sling wraps that mothers carried their babies around in. It would be more secure than the inside of his hoodie. Trowa wasn’t sold on the idea.

When Comet was feeling particularly mischievous he would steal one of Duo’s tools and run down the hall with it in his mouth. It was comical watching the braided officer run after the tiny fox, shouting every profanity known to men (and some he invented on the spot).

Heero generally acted indifferent towards the fox, but Trowa knew he was secretly fond of him. Every so often he would catch his fiancé playing fetch with Comet or napping in their room with the fox curled up on his chest. These rare moments felt like a glimpse into the future, of what it would be like raising kids together. Heero’s silly, playful side would come out. That was one of Trowa’s favorite sides...

“There you are. I figured I’d find you here.” A familiar voice drew Trowa out of his thoughts and he straightened his back before looking over at his fiancé.

Heero’s hands were stuffed into his pockets and he approached slowly, careful not to disturb the tranquil atmosphere. The room was dark, illuminated only by the light of the distant stars just outside the window. The glow danced across Trowa’s face where it contrasted with shadows to highlight the curve of lips and the gentle slope of an elegant nose.

Heero stared at him for a moment before taking a seat on the windowsill across from them. He reached out to pet the sleeping fox on the head and seemed to marvel at how soft and warm Comet’s fur was. Something on the ground caught his attention. With an eyebrow raised he bent down and picked up a small, rectangular object from the floor beside Trowa’s feet. He held it up and inspected it between his forefinger and thumb before saying with a frown, “where did you get this?” His eyes shifted from what was clearly a supercompact solid state drive to Trowa, his expression perplexed. “I was looking everywhere for this.”

“I don’t know where that came from…” Trowa studied the drive, noticing tiny teeth marks on its side. Hadn’t Comet been carrying something in his mouth? “I think I know who had it this entire time.” He looked down at the fox who was no longer asleep but looking up at the two humans curiously. Comet spotted the shiny drive in Heero’s hand and stood up, jumping to try and retrieve his new ‘toy’.

Heero’s gaze settled on the fox, his eyes narrowed slightly. “I spent three hours tearing this ship apart looking for this thing,” he addressed the animal. He lifted his arm to keep the drive out of the fox’s reach. “What do you possibly need security codes for, anyway?” He pointed his finger at the fox, his frown fading slightly.

Comet tilt his head to the side, looking as though his big ears were weighing his small head down. Trowa chuckled when the fox barked, waiting for Heero to give him his toy back. “You don’t know what he does in his spare time. Maybe Comet is into programing? He is getting into all kinds of trouble today, isn’t he...”

“It’s alright,” Heero replied. He slid the drive safely into his pocket and showed the fox his hand was empty. “It was nice to see Neumann pissed off about something.” The fox had completely decimated his office. It was strangely satisfying to see.

“I think he did it for you.” The small but mighty fox was protective of Trowa, and sometimes that protectiveness carried over to Heero as well. “He knows how you feel about Neumann. Maybe he thought he was helping.” Trowa put his hand on Comet’s back, urging him to sit back down. 

“Hm. Maybe I can train him to deactivate the pressure locks and ‘accidentally’ knock the guy into the trash chute…” Heero murmured, sighing. “THAT would be helpful.”

Trowa snorted. “If only it were that easy.” Comet decided he had grown bored of his owner’s lap. He made his way over to Heero’s and sat down before the other could shoo him away.

Heero made no move to push the fox off, but was watching the little creature closely as he began nosing around at the pocket he had hidden the drive in. “The only problem with Comet tearing up the office is that Neumann is now more determined to have him kept in suspension for the rest of the trip.”

“Not going to happen.” Trowa wouldn’t allow that. There was no negotiating as far as he was concerned. “I’m adding Neumann’s office to the chip. Comet won’t be able to go in there anymore.”

Heero nodded and casually rested his hand over his pocket as the fox began to paw and burrow at his slacks in an attempt to get its prize. “Neumann doesn’t have a say in what we do with him, he’s our personal property and not part of the ship or Argosy.” He rolled his shoulders, his expression suddenly dark. Neumann was slowly taking control of his ship, but he wouldn’t him interfere with his pet, his lover or his personal life.


End file.
